Is Atkins Chocolate chip granola protein-rich meal bar ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- 25 ingredients
- 8 additives
- Nutri-Score D
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Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
Protein blend (soy protein isolate, whey protein (ultra-processing marker), whey protein isolate (ultra-processing marker), milk protein isolate (ultra-processing marker)), vegetable glycerin, polydextrose, palm kernel, palm oil, gelatin (ultra-processing marker), oats, sunflower oil (processing marker), cocoa powder (ultra-processing marker), almonds, contains less than 2% of natural flavors, cellulose, gum arabic (ultra-processing marker), soy lecithin (ultra-processing marker), whey powder (ultra-processing marker), rice starch (processing marker), guar gum (ultra-processing marker), nonfat milk, salt (processing marker), vanilla powder, sucralose (ultra-processing marker)
Additives: E1200 Polydextrose , E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E412 Guar gum , E414 Acacia gum , E422 Glycerol , E428 Gelatine , E955 Sucralose
As written on the pack
Protein blend (soy protein isolate, whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, milk protein isolate), vegetable glycerin, polydextrose, palm kernel and palm oil, gelatin, oats, sunflower oil, cocoa powder (processed with alkali), almonds, contains less than 2% of natural flavors, cellulose powder, gum arabic, soy lecithin, whey powder, rice starch, guar gum, nonfat milk, salt, vanilla powder, sucralose.
What makes it ultra-processed
Cosmetic additives
Added to change how the food looks, feels or tastes, not to keep it safe. A hallmark of ultra-processed food.
- E322 Lecithins Lecithins are fatty substances extracted mostly from soybeans, sunflower seeds or eggs, used as emulsifiers to keep fat and water mixed, for example in chocolate.
- E412 Guar gum Guar gum is a thickener ground from the seeds of the guar plant.
- E414 Acacia gum Gum arabic (acacia gum) is the hardened sap of acacia trees, used to stabilise flavour emulsions in soft drinks and to coat sweets.
- E422 Glycerol Glycerol is a sweet-tasting liquid used to keep products moist and soft.
- E428 Gelatine Gelatine is a gelling agent made from collagen in animal skin and bones.
- E955 Sucralose Sucralose is a sweetener made by chlorinating sugar.
Substances rarely used in home kitchens
Refined or extracted in factories, such as syrups made from starch or isolated proteins. The other hallmark of ultra-processed food.
- Milk proteins Milk proteins are proteins separated from milk, such as caseinates and whey protein concentrates, added to adjust texture or raise protein content.
- Whey Whey is the liquid left over from cheese making, usually dried into a powder and used as a cheap source of milk solids, protein and lactose.
- Cocoa powder An ingredient mostly produced industrially and rarely used in home kitchens.
4 ingredients that would only make it processed
Kitchen staples like sugar, salt and oil. On their own they make a food processed, not ultra-processed.
- Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
- Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
- Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
- Sweet snacks Products in the category "Sweet snacks" are at least group 3.
Among 488 cereal bars
From least to most processed, this one ranks 419th. 91% of the cereal bars here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0637480045063, last edited 10 August 2026), available under the Open Database License. If something is wrong or the recipe has changed, you can correct it there.
- Photo: Open Food Facts contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0.
- The NOVA group is an automated estimate from crowdsourced data: a missing or mistyped ingredient can change it.
- NOVA measures processing, not nutrition. For nutrition, Open Food Facts gives this product a Nutri-Score of D (from A, best, to E).
- General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.